Date Crasher
by girlmeetssuburbs
Summary: Joe stops Mel's date. Find out what happens!
1. The Plan

**Mel is leaving for a date.**

"I'm going to be late. Have a good rest of the night!" Mel said as she left.

"Bye! Have Fun" Ryder and Lennox said in unison.

The back door closed as Mel left.

Ryder and Lennox leave the kitchen.

Joe paces back and forth looking for something to do.

"_What if something goes wrong? What if this is the perfect guy_?" Joe thought, worrying.

"I have to think of a distraction. I have to get her out of this date." Joe said aloud.

Joe kept thinking.

He started cooking dinner to distract himself.

He called the kids down to eat.

Ryder came down first and started coughing a little bit.

Joe's eyes bugged out and he smiled suspiciously.

Ryder looked at him, confused. "What…?

"Wanna make $15?" Joe asked him.

"Sure?" Ryder said sounding more confused.

Lennox walked into the kitchen with her purse over her shoulder.

"I'm going out to eat with Zander, I won't be too late" Lennox told Joe.

"Okay, have fun!" Joe said.

"So, what's up?" Ryder asked.

"I'm going to go get your Aunt so she doesn't continue on her date and I need you as the problem. Are you following me?"Joe explained to Ryder.

"I'm not going to ask. But, I'm in. What do I do?" Ryder said.

"Okay. All you have to do is pretend to be sick and I'll get your Aunt and she'll have to come home" Joe explained.

"Does this get me out of home schooling?" Ryder asked Joe.

"Only for a day and fifteen dollars. Sound good?" Joe said.

"Fine by me, actually I feel like im getting a fever" Ryder said putting his hand on his forehead.

Joe laughed. "Alright. I'll be right back" Joe left.

Ryder gathered his things and went to the living room.


	2. The Problem

As Joe drove to the restaurant, he called Mel knowing she wouldn't answer.

Mel looked at her phone as it rang. _"It's just Joe"_ she thought and ignored the calls.

Joe walked into the restaurant and ran to Mel's table.

In a concerned tone Joe said "Burke. You've got to get back to the house".

Mel looked angry. "Joe, I'm on a date and you're interrupting" she said.

"No, it's Ryder" Joe said worried.

"It's probably not that bad" Mel said, trying to get Joe to leave.

"If it wasn't that bad, I wouldn't be here"

He turned to her date and said "I'm sorry, but this is important".

"It's fine. If you have to go, you have to go" he said.

Mel was furious. "What's the problem?"

"He's really sick-"Joe said and she cut him off.

"I've got to take this. It's my nephew, I'll call you. I'm sorry" Mel said, sounding upset.

Joe smiled.

Joe and Mel left the restaurant.

"What's exactly wrong?" Mel asked.

"I don't know. He just came down for dinner and started coughing. Then, I felt his head and he had a fever. He was holding his stomach. So, I told him to lay down and I'd go get you. He just wanted you" Joe told Mel.

They got to the house and Mel stormed through the front door.

Ryder was lying on the couch, sleeping.

Mel ran to the couch he was lying on.

She shook him. "Ryder..Ryder.." she said in a quiet voice.

He opened his eyes.

"What's wrong?" She said, concerned.

He started coughing. Joe was doing gestures behind him.

"My head hurts. I'm tired uh.." He said.

"How's your stomach?" Mel asked.

"Ah, it keeps turning" Ryder said like he was in pain.

Joe gave him a thumbs up.

She felt his head.

"Yup, you're warm" Mel said.

"_How did he do that?"_ Joe thought.

"Should I get the thermometer?" Mel asked Joe.

"Yeah, just to be safe" Joe said.

Mel put her fingers through Ryders hair. "I'll be right back"

Ryder kept a "sick face" on, but smiled. "Okay" he said and coughed.

Mel left the room and Joe walked up to him.

"Dude, you're doing a great job. How'd you get the fever part in?" Joe said sounding surprised.

"Joe…" Ryder said.

"Yeah?" Joe said.

"I think I'm actually sick" Ryder said.

Joe felt Ryder's forehead. "You're not kidding. This isn't good. I didn't mean for this to actually happen" Joe started getting concerned.

Mel came back.

"Mel, he's burring up" Joe said.

"I know. I'm here, I'll take it from here" Mel said.

"Aunt Mel's here, okay bud?" Mel said to Ryder.

Ryder shook his head.

She put the thermometer in his mouth.

Joe started feeling guilty.


	3. Chapter 3

As Mel was about to take the thermometer out of Ryder's mouth, Lennox walked through the front door.

She immediately looked where Ryder was "What did I miss?" she asked sounding confused.

"Nothing much, Ryder just isn't feeling well" Mel explained.

"..Okay" Lennox said sounding more confused.

Lennox started heading up the stairs "Good night Aunt Mel. Night Joe" she said.

In unison they both said their goodnights.

Mel took the thermometer out of Ryder's mouth.

"You should probably head up too. You need to rest, Sweetie" Mel said to Ryder.

She walked over to Joe and whispered "101.8" and gave him a worried look.

She helped Ryder get up from the couch and walked him upstairs.

As they got to the hallway, Ryder ran to the bathroom.

Mel was confused until she heard a noise coming from the bathroom.

She rushed over.

Ryder was hanging over the toilet seat, puking.

She kneeled down and rubbed his back.

Joe was in the kitchen.

He opened a bottle of wine and poured some in a glass.

He started drinking it.

He looked up and said "Why? I knew I shouldn't have told him to do that. That wasn't right. He shouldn't be punished. He doesn't deserve to be this sick. He can barely move" in a very concerned tone.

Mel got Ryder into his bed and went down to the kitchen.

"Who are you talking to? Never mind, I don't care" Mel said to Joe.

She opened a cabinet and took out some Pepto.

"I'm going to take this up to Ryder and go to bed. Night Joe" Mel said to Joe.

"Good night, I might as well head up too" He said to Mel.


	4. Chapter 4

All night Joe kept tossing and turning.

He couldn't stop thinking about Ryder and what he had done to him.

The next morning, Joe headed out to do some errands.

Mel stayed home.

Mel was in the kitchen as Lennox walked down the stairs.

"Have a good day!" Mel said to her.

"Thanks Aunt Mel, see you later!" Lennox answered.

A few minutes later, Ryder walked down the stairs.

He was coughing.

"Aunt Mel.." Ryder said in a hoarse, sleepy voice.

"What are you doing up?" Mel asked him, concerned.

"I need to give Joe my math homework, it's due today" Ryder said as he handed her the paper.

"Sweetie, you didn't need to do that today. No school work today, you're way too sick" Mel said to him.

"Let's get you upstairs" Mel said to him as she led him up the steps.

Mel got him to his room. She felt his head and asked "Can you tell me exactly what's wrong?"

Between coughing Ryder said "My throat is sore, my stomach really hurts, and I have shortness of breath"

Mel rubbed his back "Okay. I'll take care of you, I promise"

"Thanks Aunt Mel" Ryder said in a hoarse tone.

"First. Let's get that fever down and I'll get you some soup. Does that sound okay?"Mel asked him.

Ryder nodded.

"Let's try not to strain our voice either" Mel told him.


	5. Chapter 5

Joe came in around noon from running errands.

Mel was on the phone.

"Austin, I would love to come meet up with you. But, my nephew is sick and I have no one else to take care of him" she said in a commanding tone.

Joe waved his hands left and right trying to get Mel's attention.

"Austin, hold on one second" she said and put the phone aside.

"Yes Joe?" she said in a snotty tone.

"I'll get Ryder. You go" Joe told her.

"You sure? He's really stubborn" Mel said sounding unsure.

"I'm sure" Joe said.

Mel picked up the phone. "Austin. I'll be there, Joe's got him"

She hung up the phone and headed up the stairs.

She heard Ryder calling her and went into his room.

"What's wrong?" Mel asked in a concerned voice

"My head really hurts"

"Oooh, you look worse than this morning" Mel said sounding skeptical about going

Mel called Joe's name loudly.

He ran up the stairs to where Mel was.

"I don't think I should go. Look at him" she said to Joe.

"Go. He'll be fine" Joe said.

Mel went to her room and got dressed.

"Where's Aunt Mel going?" Ryder asked.

"She's going out with Austin for lunch. She'll be back later"

"I'll take care of you, since it's my fault "Joe told him.

"Joe, it's not" Ryder said and began to cough.

Joe felt Ryder's head and took his temperature.

It read 102.4. Higher than before.

"Let me getcha some Tylonel and I'll be right back" Joe told Ryder.

Joe went down to the kitchen. Mel was there about to leave.

"How is he? " Mel asked him.

"He's got a high fever. But, I'm going to see if Tylonel brings it down" Joe told her.

" I really shouldn't go" Mel said.

"Go! He's fine" Joe told her

Mel left.

Joe took care of Ryder until Mel got back.


End file.
